In June 2022, North Shore Community Resources convened Housing for All!, three free public conversations on affordable housing on the North Shore. The Housing for All! series provided an opportunity for the community to gather and learn about one of the more challenging public policy issues facing our community while also collectively exercising their democratic participation muscles in advance of municipal elections.
Over 170 participants took part in the three conversations, one in each municipality, with 59 per cent
over age 40, and 41 per cent under age 40. To amplify the voices of our participants, we invited and welcomed a variety of elected officials from across the North Shore including municipal Councillors, Mayors, as well as provincial and federal elected representatives.
To facilitate learning and spark conversations, our keynote speakers included Dr. Penny Gurstein, UBC Professor Emeritus and former director of the School of Community and Regional Planning, Andy Yan, Director of the City Program at SFU and Jake Fry, Founder of Small Housing BC. In small groups, our participants and facilitators tackled two key questions: what do you think are the most critical housing needs or issues facing residents or aspirational residents in your community, and how would you like to see your community respond to these key housing needs?